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Ameiurus nebulosus  (Lesueur, 1819)

Brown bullhead
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Native range | All suitable habitat
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Ameiurus nebulosus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Ameiurus nebulosus (Brown bullhead)
Ameiurus nebulosus
Picture by Zienert, S.


New Zealand country information

Common names: Catfish
Occurrence: introduced
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: abundant (always seen in some numbers) | Ref: McDowall, R.M., 1984
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Introduced in the 1870's and appears to have established in localized areas around Auckland, Waikato, Turangi, Wairarapa and the west coast (Ref. 5755). Recorded from the North and South Is., and widespread in the North I., with range expanding (Ref. 52336). Voucher specimen(s) held at the NMNZ (Ref. 5755). No commercial catch (Ref. 5755).
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.fish.govt.nz/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Welcomme, R.L., 1988
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Siluriformes (Catfish) > Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 55.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 25.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 556); max. published weight: 2.7 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 9 years (Ref. 59043)

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 40 m (Ref. 1998)

Climate / Range

Temperate; ? - 37°C (Ref. 35682), preferred ?; 54°N - 25°N

Distribution

North America: Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada to Mobile Bay in Alabama in USA, and St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi River basins from Quebec west to Saskatchewan in Canada and south to Louisiana, USA. Introduced into several countries. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction. Asia: Iran and Turkey (Ref. 39702).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-7; Anal spines: 1. Caudal fin with 18-19 rays.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs in pools and sluggish runs over soft substrates in creeks and small to large rivers. Also found in impoundments, lakes, and ponds. Rarely enters brackish waters (Ref. 1998). A nocturnal feeder that feeds mollusks, insects, leeches, crayfish and plankton, worms, algae, plant material, fishes and has been reported to feed on eggs of least cisco, herring and lake trout (Ref. 1998). Juveniles (3-6 cm) feed mostly on chironomid larvae, cladocerans, ostracods, amphipods, bugs and mayflies (Ref. 1998). Can tolerate high carbon dioxide and low oxygen concentrations and temperatures up to 31.6 °C although experiments show upper lethal temp. to be 37.5 °C; resistant to domestic and industrial pollution (Ref. 1998). Has been observed to bury itself in mud to escape adverse environmental conditions (Ref. 1998). Prepared hot-smoked and also cooked in various ways (Ref. 1998).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Potential pest



Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
References
Aquaculture
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Allele frequencies
Heritability
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Ciguatera
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Otoliths
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Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.5078 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
3.7   ±0.1 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.47; tm=3; tmax=8)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Unknown